Not a car problem per say, but a question about platform modification expenses

[Intrepidation]

Not sure where to post this, so feel free to move where appropriate.

This is a questions for insiders and people who have a lot of knowledge about platforms and the engineerings aspects of them. It involves the automaker not some project car. This would be for redesigning/heavily modifying an existing vehcile.

How difficult is to to stretch the wheelbase, of a platform, widen it, lengthen the trunk, and change the roofline. In addition to these structural changes, the vehicle using this platform would need new suspnsion tuning, and work on NVH levels.

Would it be easier an more cost effective to modify this platform to meet these requirements, or design a new platform with these goals in mind? Why?

Edited August 8, 2008 by Dodgefan

[balthazar]

Based on the brief parameters you spelled out above, it would have to be more cost effective to modify an existing platform.... but I've often had the feeling that it goes something like this: money is appropriated for a new vehicle, and it all has to be spent or they get less next time, hence they throw everything they had right out the window and start from scratch. You know- like the government operates.

It always amazes me when the wet blankets whine 'Oh, that's just an updated platform, Car A(mazing) has an all-new platform' like that's somehow measurably better automatically and it's impossible to have any bugs or deficiencies in a clean sheet platform.

[Intrepidation]

Based on the brief parameters you spelled out above, it would have to be more cost effective to modify an existing platform.... but I've often had the feeling that it goes something like this: money is appropriated for a new vehicle, and it all has to be spent or they get less next time, hence they throw everything they had right out the window and start from scratch. You know- like the government operates.

It always amazes me when the wet blankets whine 'Oh, that's just an updated platform, Car A(mazing) has an all-new platform' like that's somehow measurably better automatically and it's impossible to have any bugs or deficiencies in a clean sheet platform.

Thanks for the info balthazar!

[daves87rs]

Based on the brief parameters you spelled out above, it would have to be more cost effective to modify an existing platform.... but I've often had the feeling that it goes something like this: money is appropriated for a new vehicle, and it all has to be spent or they get less next time, hence they throw everything they had right out the window and start from scratch. You know- like the government operates.

It always amazes me when the wet blankets whine 'Oh, that's just an updated platform, Car A(mazing) has an all-new platform' like that's somehow measurably better automatically and it's impossible to have any bugs or deficiencies in a clean sheet platform.

Yep....